120
People who are upset at seeing nature in such a state have been trying to make
things as they once were long ago and activities for environmental conservation
have started up in various areas. These efforts have been rewarded and once again
Japanese crested ibises grace the skies of Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, while
the white stork has been successfully returned to the wild in Toyooka city in Hyogo
Prefecture, and fireflies are once again to be found in Mishima city’s Genbei River
in Shizuoka prefecture. Each of these habitats is being successfully rehabilitated. In
addition, people are connecting these activities to making their areas more appealing. The city of Sado has established the Toki Forest Park which provides services
like an environmental study program to learn about the ecology of crested ibises. In
Toyooka, a special brand of rice on the market touts that the environment it has been
grown in is so beautiful as to be a habitat for white storks. The city of Mishima holds
events like its firefly festival which revitalize its tourism.
The prosperity of humankind is only possible through living in harmony with
nature. There can be no future for humankind if development that creates a burden
for the environment is pursued. A society that lives in harmony with nature is one of
the vital elements that make up the Platinum Society.
6.3.2 Initiatives by Corporations for Living in Harmony
with Nature
During the years of Japan’s economic bubble, corporate support of the arts was
popular. However, in the 1990s, attention was focused on environmental problems,
and more and more companies conducted environmental activities such as planting
trees and conducting cleanups. It is wonderful that there are still companies continuing or even further extending such activities. However, there seems to be a trend for
these kinds of activities to be discontinued, especially when such activities are so
different to the companies’ main type of business. In the same way that corporate
support of the arts petered out as the economy slumped, it is only natural that extra
activities are cut short when earnings structures worsen.
Environmental conservation activities by corporations should be positive activities that link up with the company’s activities, not simply volunteering to help nature
that has been damaged. Because such activities will in turn contribute to the company’s main business, the company can throw in the necessary resources on a continual basis.
The beverage company Ito En, Ltd., conducts a Program for Revitalizing TeaGrowing Regions. The total area under contract cultivation is 668 hectares while
366 hectares are new tea plantations, making a total of 1034 hectares (as of the end
of 2015). Contract cultivation means that farmers grow the tea and Ito En buys the
entire amount. New tea plantations refers to large scale tea plantation business operations that use abandoned farmland, and provide various kinds of support to the
farmers including technology and use of IT.
6 Platinum Industry and a New Society
People who are upset at seeing nature in such a state have been trying to make
things as they once were long ago and activities for environmental conservation
have started up in various areas. These efforts have been rewarded and once again
Japanese crested ibises grace the skies of Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, while
the white stork has been successfully returned to the wild in Toyooka city in Hyogo
Prefecture, and fireflies are once again to be found in Mishima city’s Genbei River
in Shizuoka prefecture. Each of these habitats is being successfully rehabilitated. In
addition, people are connecting these activities to making their areas more appealing. The city of Sado has established the Toki Forest Park which provides services
like an environmental study program to learn about the ecology of crested ibises. In
Toyooka, a special brand of rice on the market touts that the environment it has been
grown in is so beautiful as to be a habitat for white storks. The city of Mishima holds
events like its firefly festival which revitalize its tourism.
The prosperity of humankind is only possible through living in harmony with
nature. There can be no future for humankind if development that creates a burden
for the environment is pursued. A society that lives in harmony with nature is one of
the vital elements that make up the Platinum Society.
6.3.2 Initiatives by Corporations for Living in Harmony
with Nature
During the years of Japan’s economic bubble, corporate support of the arts was
popular. However, in the 1990s, attention was focused on environmental problems,
and more and more companies conducted environmental activities such as planting
trees and conducting cleanups. It is wonderful that there are still companies continuing or even further extending such activities. However, there seems to be a trend for
these kinds of activities to be discontinued, especially when such activities are so
different to the companies’ main type of business. In the same way that corporate
support of the arts petered out as the economy slumped, it is only natural that extra
activities are cut short when earnings structures worsen.
Environmental conservation activities by corporations should be positive activities that link up with the company’s activities, not simply volunteering to help nature
that has been damaged. Because such activities will in turn contribute to the company’s main business, the company can throw in the necessary resources on a continual basis.
The beverage company Ito En, Ltd., conducts a Program for Revitalizing TeaGrowing Regions. The total area under contract cultivation is 668 hectares while
366 hectares are new tea plantations, making a total of 1034 hectares (as of the end
of 2015). Contract cultivation means that farmers grow the tea and Ito En buys the
entire amount. New tea plantations refers to large scale tea plantation business operations that use abandoned farmland, and provide various kinds of support to the
farmers including technology and use of IT.
6 Platinum Industry and a New Society